National Republican., 1887-02-28

,nisfortunes because they had no faith in
80 easily overcome by the trials of life, what
will 1t be when greater misfortunes come upon
them-heart breaking calamities, tremendous
sriefs?" Oh If we have no God TO comfort us
when our fortunes go, and we look upon the
grave Of our children, and our houses are desc
late, what will become Of, us2 What
Of trouble; no closet OF Of prayer
in which to retreat no promise Of mercy 10
hide from the blast. oh. when the swift
ana painting for the race and Tie 'pSs rens are
tanks at every spring feel the stroke of the
lash, what can we do on foot with them? How
We ,ss compete with them having run
we contend with horses?
We have ali yielded to temptation. We have
been surprised afterward that so small an in
right. How insignificant temptation has
so, my dear brother, what will 1t be when we
hat hat pfostrated pr % David and \ Moses and
Peter and some of the mightiest men in all
Gods kingdom? Now. we are honest, but sup
many Of GODS children have been, where ali
the forces of earth and hell combine to cap.
tnre the soul? Without Jesus we would 80
would be distanced ten thousand leagues by
the horses Ah, don't like to hear a man say:
understand how a man conld be carried away
like that" You don't know what you could
do If the grace of God lets you. You know what
gering along the street, thoroughly embruted
In his habits. He said: there goes John Bun
yam, but for The, grace Of God.F l say when I
mage but 70, the grace OF God" II we have
been delivered from temptation II Is because the
strong arm of the Lord Almighty has been about
they. 1t is a great folly to borrow trouble. II
we can meet the misfortunes Of to-day, we will
be able to meet the troubles OF tomorrow; but
does not our, common sense teach us that we
cannot stand up against great ones?
can we carry cannot thousand pounds R0unf If
we are discounted coming into battle with
one regiment, brigade will cut us to pieces.
won't we be overcome by greater ones? Ifthe
footmen are too much for us, won't the odds
be more fearful against us when we contend
His dear children have been delivered. How
was 1t that Paul could say "Sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich;
And baVd nGhn yss lSars s p into
the rock Of Gods strength and becomes thor
oughly composed amid all his sorrows, saying:
"God Is our refuge and strength. very present
help in the time of trouble; therefore viii not
we fear though the earth be removed, though
the mountains be east into the midst Of the
sea- though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountain shake with the
swelling thereof. selah."
But my text suggests something In advance
Of anything ! have said. we must all quit
this life. However sound our health may be,
II must break down; however good our title
may be to houses, land, and estates, we must
surrender them. We will hear voice bidding
us away from all these places, We will have
to slari on pilgrimage from which we can
never come back. We will have seen for the
last time the evening star and watched the last
spring wind for the last time, Hands Of loved
ones may he stretched out to hold US, back,
but they cannot-go We must. About al other
exits and changes we may tribe, but not about
tnls, stupendous moment OF life-quitting
Oh, when The great tides OF eternity arise about
ns, and MI the soul and surround IT, and sweep
y out toward rapture or woe-ah, that will be
sometimes talk very merrily about the de-
parture from tins life. i am sorry TO hear
i. But men DO make fun Of the passage
great deal about 1t, hut when IL came he shiy.
cred with horror. Many an intidel has scofled
at the idea Of fearing future world. but lying
upon his pillow in the last hour his teeth have
abbey an eptaph, which poet ordered TO be
put upon his tomb:
Life 10 a lest,
And all things show 1t.
thought so once,
But now know IT,"
I thought how inapt that, in place of
sepulGheT men should try their witticisms. A
great German having rejected Christ, in his
last moments said ",Giye me light, give me
em n GboSt be Wg ast R hour m ' but when % comes M
and the tides are rising, and the surf Is beat
ing, and the winds are bowling, we VIII each
one, my brethren find for y himself that It. Is
COURAGE won't hold out then, However